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Did I go to far?

Doorsy's picture

Friday dh took my car to get the tires rotated and then picked dd and sd up from school. I like my car clean I am constantly on sd for leaving her stuff in it. When I went to the school on Saturday to volunteer her crap was in the back seat *surprise*. We were moving props and her crap was getting in the way so I tossed it into the band room. I left it there. I want to take full credit on leaving it there but i can't. I ran a load up to the other location and on the way back I got a call that said we were done for the day. They had already locked up and were headed home. I didn't want to inconvenience the volunteers who already spent most of the day helping by asking them to go back to the school and unlock it for me so it is still there. When I got home dh and sd were watching tv and I told them both that she left her bags in my car AGAIN and that I put them in the band room as we needed the space in my car and they got locked in. Dh was and is still pissed at me and sd has been crying all sat. night and Sunday because she had homework that needs done and her make up bag is in there. I told her to go get it this morning and quit leaving her stuff in my car. Dh is barely speaking to me. Dh and I have sex usually 1 to 3 times a week but Sunday night is our big "getting into it" romantic night and he read a book and went to bed early. When I asked if he wanted to take a bath or have a massage and he said he wasn't in the mood. I feel hurt over this.

Comments

Doorsy's picture

My entire car was loaded down with props we were moving. If her stuff wasn't in the way I would have left it in the car and fussed at dh when I got home. It was easier for me AND I needed the room to move her stuff to the band room.

Disneyfan's picture

All of the trunk, floor, back window....space was filled up????

Of course you went overboard. What's going to happen when BM discovers that you actions caused her kid to get zeros on those missed homework assignments?

You really expected your husband to want to have sex with you after what you pulled? I'm surprised he even spoke or looked at you after that.

Doorsy's picture

All my seats were put down and we were loading and unloading stuff. It was really in the way and I am not sorry I moved it. I am wondering if LEAVING it went to far.

Totalybogus's picture

It really wasn't the OP's actions that caused the kid not to do her homework. It was the kid's fault. She shouldn't have left her stuff in the car. Someone needs to teach this kid responsibility. Her homework is her responsibility.

uofarkchick's picture

Like I've said before... This is Generation Snowflake we're talking about.
Personal responsibility has skipped this generation.

uofarkchick's picture

Do you drive a really small car or something? A backpack can be put in the floor of the passenger seat easily.
I think you did go a little too far but I understand where you're coming from. Your car is not a storage locker.

Doorsy's picture

I drive a small suv and we put stuff on the floor boards and put seats down and then stuff on top of the seats. Anything I had in my car would have been moved out to help with room. I just didn't put the time and effort to get her stuff out of the locked building.

JustAgirl42's picture

^That^

MollyBrown's picture

You didn't go too far if your goal is to destroy your marriage. You both are in a tit for tat dance and those never end well.

MollyBrown's picture

She sure acted like she was. Dragging the bag around, handling the bag like she was one. The least way to act like a bellhop would have been to leave the bag in the car.

sunshinex's picture

How old is she? I'd say it's fairly silly to react that way unless she's over 16. Kids tend to be forgetful about crap like that. If it was your own daughter's backpack, what would you have done? That's what you need to consider.

sunshinex's picture

I agree, but that doesn't mean they remember all the time. Hell, I'm 22 and still forget to bring my purse in from the car from time to time. I also still lose my keys sometimes. The fact is, when it's your own kid, you're not near as annoyed. It's annoying, yeah, but not to the extent that you'd leave your kid's stuff somewhere so they have to figure out how to retrieve it. Stepkid or not, they're still children who do dumb stuff sometimes and you have to let it go OR give an appropriate consequence, just like you would with your own.

MollyBrown's picture

Look it this way, you guys are cheering revenge (and that is what it was). Great ending for the short game. But long term? She may never have SD leave her stuff in her car, but her husband has a reason to do less for her and worse think less of her.

uofarkchick's picture

Totally agree. I doubt she was trying to be malicious. It was an accident. Stuff happens.

MollyBrown's picture

Still a big difference in maturity and access to public transportation and or that you could drive.

MollyBrown's picture

The kid should face consequences for leaving the bag. But this one was more revenage then truly a fitting punishment.

sunshinex's picture

Hmm... yeah thinking more about it, it depends. I think ladyface has a point. It's a natural consequence, you didn't deliberately do it. But if it was your kid, wouldn't you have gone back to grab it than lectured her at home? I know I hate when people leave their crap in my car/at my house than expect me to get it back to them. It's annoying. So I can understand where you're coming from.

TwoOfUs's picture

Yeah. And we all know cars never move around or go other places.

Not sure what your point is, here.

TwoOfUs's picture

Yeah. And we all know cars never move around or go other places.

Not sure what your point is, here.

bearcub25's picture

Well an adult would blame themselves for leaving it in a car to begin with. Then the adult would contact someone and ask them to let them in the band room to get it and offer them something for their time to go unlock it.

Doorsy's picture

I didn't purposely have it locked up but I could have gotten it unlocked. No one beat my opinion out of me I asked for advice and a majority are telling me why they feel I am wrong not just saying i was wrong. I can see that their points are valid. I messed up and I can own that.

Doorsy's picture

Unless he had the phone number of the lady who had the keys he couldn't. I didn't offer him the number or even tell him I had it. I thought she was getting her just desserts but now I see I messed up.

MollyBrown's picture

Maybe he didn't feel affectionate because he was unhappy with his wife's actions.

ESMOD's picture

One bag rule in our house. The girls would show up with like 7 bags each for a weekend trip..lol.

To be fair to them, they didn't have proper luggage and were using things like free totes that their mother handed down to them. So the bags were not large, but they learned to pack more streamlined going forward.

Just got back from a 4 night cruise with the YSD and DH. She only brought 2 bags and they weren't even as big as mine!

Doorsy's picture

3 bags. 1 large and 1 medium and 1 small. They got in the way. I am not sorry I moved them as they were IN MY WAY, I however am realizing I should have asked the lady to meet me and unlock the doors.

ntm's picture

No, you should not have inconvenienced anyone else. Do you honestly think that kid would have given two seconds of thought to her backpacks all weekend if you hadn't mentioned it? Only when frantically looking for it this morning or when going back to BM's, whichever came first.

bearcub25's picture

My daughters basketball bag, when she played in high school, was bigger than a suitcase...changes of clothes, hygiene stuff, 2 sets of everything. I can relate.

DaizyDuke's picture

I really don't see the big deal here. Like Lady said... if SD was THAT worried about her bag and homework, she would have brought it in the house instead of leaving it in the car. What if your car was stolen? What if your car spontaneously combusted?

You did not put her stuff in the band room, KNOWING that it would be locked upon your return and you wouldn't be able to retrieve it. You put it in there to get it out of your way and you plan was to put it back in your car when you were done moving things. Oh well, such is life. It was SD actions that led to her not having her bag and homework... NOT yours. I mean, if you chucked the shit out the window on the interstate.. THEN I could see your DH being pissed. But if my DH wanted to get pissed over what you did and make into MY fault... we'd be having a pissing match for sure.

tonieye11's picture

^^^This

And what LadyFace said. I can't for the life of me understand why you are on the hook for something your DH should have done. Yeah you could have checked out your car before hand, granted no one actually does that, BUT your DH SHOULD HAVE checked behind his child KNOWING this was an issue before hand. This is as much on him as it is on you and SD. This is an ongoing issue, not a new topic. Tell him if he would have checked behind SD, since she's obviously too young to be responsible, then this would have never happened.

MollyBrown's picture

Your husband did something nice for you (tire rotation ). How does he feel you responded?

Peridwen's picture

Note: I have not read your other blogs, so my advice may not be applicable.

While I would have told whoever I was speaking to that I had bags in the band room that needed to be returned, I would consider this a case of natural consequences. My 11yo SD has missed out on homework due to similar circumstances, though it was DH who made the final call (which probably would have helped in this case.)

I told her twice to get her crap out of my car, (SD11's school crap FILLS the floor of the front seat, and I mean she puts her feet on top of it fills it.) She 'forgot' and I wound up unloading it at DH's office (family business) in order to fit the stuff for Scouts I'd offered to transport + people. I was so tired at the end of the night I refused to go back. I told DH he needed to go get the stuff if he wanted SD11 to have it. He told her to go get her homework and when she threw a fit about it having been unloaded at DH's office, he pointed out that she'd been told to remove it twice. She demanded he go get it because of her important homework, and DH refused. Told her he would take her out early in the morning to pick it up and she'd have to do the homework in the morning at school.

Natural consequences.

Peridwen's picture

Yes, I am a spoiled SM. Smile DH gets rewarded for this type of awesome parenting too. }:)

It's BM that is the crazy in my life.

Peridwen's picture

I should point out that I didn't tell my DH until I got home. In the OP's post it looks like she told him when she got home?

When I got home dh and sd were watching tv and I told them both that she left her bags in my car AGAIN and that I put them in the band room as we needed the space in my car and they got locked in.

Isn't that exactly saying OP told her DH about it? At what point did DH ask for the volunteer information to request access or find out how early he could get into the school to help SD pick up her backpack? Never. He pouted and got mad because OP didn't solve the problem that his lazy parenting created. Could she have called the volunteer or told her DH right away when the backpack was left, yes. It appeared to me that she had intended to pick the stuff up, so it wouldn't have occurred to her to notify her DH before leaving for the other location.

If my DH acted the way OP's DH did in this scenario, I'd be sitting on the porch drinking sangria and ignoring the mantrum.

TwoOfUs's picture

lol.

Uh, yeah.

SD doesn't take her things inside. DH doesn't check up on it or ask her where her things are.

DH and SD spend the night sitting around watching TV. SM goes and volunteers at the school, moving heavy band equipment.

But, somehow, this is all the result of the SM's "failure to check BEFORE going to the school" or her need for "revenge" or "passive-aggressiveness" or....something! Somehow the SM must be in the wrong! It couldn't possibly be an honest mistake, brought on by her SD's laziness and her DH's LAZY, LAZY parenting or lack thereof.

Doorsy's picture

It was laziness. Sd leaves a trail of items where ever she goes and dh makes excuses for her. She hasn't really gotten into the eff you stage or marking her territory. She is just very flighty with her head in the clouds. She is la la la la la. That's how I would describe her.

MollyBrown's picture

Thanks to your immature actions, I would bet your relationship will be changing.

Doorsy's picture

I could have but chose not to. I am learning that is where I went wrong, that or I didn't give dh the info so he could get them.

JustAgirl42's picture

That is the only thing I think you did wrong, was not give DH the opportunity to get sd's stuff back. I don't believe you should have had to go get it back anyway, since it should not have been in the car in the first place.

Doorsy's picture

You are so right. I was wrong in taking away his ability to parent his daughter and when I apologize to him I am going to word it just like that. I should have given him the information he needed and allowed him to make his decisions.

tonieye11's picture

No. Next time her DH needs to check the seats of her car. Stop putting the responsibility on SM instead of where it belongs on DH. OP didn't take away her DHs ability to parent, he should have done that long before it got to this. What the mass consensus is that everybody wanted OP to give her DH a way out, a way to fix SDs laziness. She is not obligated to do that in any way. I have a toddler, no one thinks he's going to be responsible but if he takes his favorite toy to another kids house and leaves it, well than guess what it's left. He lost it. That's life. I'm not going to ask another person to search their kids toys in hopes of finding it. OP did the same. She didn't inconvenience someone else on the bases of her DHs and SDs irresponsibility. Considering its her relationship with these people and not his, that's her call to make.

BethAnne's picture

If I was the volunteer called to run back to the school just so some kid could do their homework I would be pissed. This is not simply a case of passive aggressive motives. This is having consideration for other people's time and energy.

BethAnne's picture

Like a kid handing in their homework a day late? That really isn't a big deal and does not need a whole help of adults running around to avoid it.

Disneyfan's picture

That's fine if her teachers will accept homework. I sure as heck don't. UNLESS there is a good ass reason(death).

The story the OP posted would have resulted in zeros from me. A paper or project would drop one letter grade.

BethAnne's picture

And that is great that you hold your students responsible like that. Unless a student is near a grade boundary missing one homework assignment once is not going to have a huge impact on their outcome for the year and that child can choose to work all the harder over the next few months to make up for it. Sometimes these things happen, it is not the end of the world.

Doorsy's picture

To the school? I don't think they would trust anyone with keys to the school building except those that the school gave the keys to.

notasm3's picture

"If you had room for boxes and props you had room for her stuff. "

No - you cannot physically put two things in the same place. I've often had my van loaded up (backseats down, middle seats out) so full that I had to have my dog in my lap.

BethAnne's picture

These things happen. It isn't the end of the world. Your sd needs to be more responsible with her things and your husband should back you up and stop sulking. SD's homework will be a day or two late, big deal. Now she will hopefully remember not to keep her stuff in your car.

sunshinex's picture

I think a conversation could've been had between OP and DH upon finding the bag in her car in the first place. A simple "hey, your kid left her bag in my car despite being asked not to. How can we handle this?" could've prevented a lot of unnecessary drama over a backpack.

MollyBrown's picture

To be fair, the step dad thought it was O's daughter's fault. The OP said the kid is nice, but flighty. Your post doesn't fit in with what has been posted.

Cover1W's picture

Yeah my SD13 is very good at leaving stuff everywhere. And forgetting about it until the moment she needs it. I used to ask her and DH repeatedly to make sure her things are properly put away until I'm blue in the face with no results. So I am suspecting the OP reached this point. As many know I've thrown stuff down the stairs and off the deck and into the trash. Trash left in my car gets thrown into her room. I have thrown her things from my car into the middle of the driveway. I have found things after leaving the house too.

I have to wonder if I may have done a similar thing if space was at a premium in my car, I needed the space (three bags is alot). Sounds like she may have tried to work around them but got sick of it.

If I was tired and in my way home, realized I forgot them, but that they were safe I may not have gone back. She should have taken her bags in when she got home.

However I would have let DH know this and that he would have to get them if necessary. And he knows this because we both understand what I don't cover for.

TwoOfUs's picture

^^THIS^^

My SS was always "nice but flighty" too. The truth is, "flightiness" is really just another name for extreme laziness or selfishness. He also forgot his things and left stuff everywhere...and then expected someone else to pick up his slack for him. Usually, it was my DH...and usually my DH did it...dropping everything in the middle of work to run to BM's house, get SS's school ID, run it over to the school...and then come back home. Or drop everything to take a lunch to school, or money for a lunch, because SS "forgot" to pack one that morning. This for a kid in high school.

I finally put my foot down and told DH that he could not drop everything to rescue SS anymore...we work together, and it was affecting our ability to earn a living. Guess what? SS suddenly, magically, started remembering his own crap after about two times of having to deal with the consequences of his forgetfulness HIMSELF rather than expecting adults to run around, inconveniencing themselves to serve him.

Sorry. I'm really not getting all the people who think OP should be beating herself up over this. SD was lazy and reaped the consequences. Period.

Jlbfinch's picture

OP, most adults can spot blame deflecting when they see it. Whether it was intentional or not the fact remains that her stuff got locked up at the school over the weekend bc you took it out of the car and put it there. That's probably why your DH got pissed, not because it happened but bc you came in on attack mode rather than taking any responsibility for what happened. Also, some people like to be more prepared than others. My DH is the type who will clean out his vehicle the day before if he knows he's going to be using it to move things around. I am more the type to realize things aren't going to fit right bc I have too much crap in my car as I'm trying to stuff things in there. So while I'd be mad thinking "ugh, why did the kid leave all this stuff in here AGAIN, now this is going to be harder to do," it wouldn't happen to my husband bc he would have already had the car emptied beforehand.

As far as your SD goes she's at the age of being a drama queen. They really do think the world revolves around them at that age and minor problems are magnified. Have to go to school without make-up on? Oh no my life is over! Everyone will be looking at me! That sort of thing. She will get over it but she probably won't get over the instances where she feels like you did something mean to her on purpose bc you don't like her.

TwoOfUs's picture

No. Her stuff got locked in because her SD, AND her DH, left it in the car.

I also check my car and keep it clean. OP's DH used her car last, to pick up the girls from school. Sounds like OP was just expecting her car to be as she left it and got surprised by the stuff in there...which makes perfect sense to me. Her DH should be upset with himself for not making his daughter take her things in when they got home. Surely he noticed that she brought stuff to the car but didn't take anything inside? Oh, he didn't? We shouldn't expect that of him because he's a man? But SM definitely should have double-checked the back seat of her SUV before leaving to volunteer for the night. That's on her. Makes total sense.

bearcub25's picture

IDK if you will see this. I just read your other 2 blogs.

I know that a story has the slant of the story teller. I'm not saying you are lying. I'm not saying that you are wrong.

I also feel that while you may have subconsciously sabotaged SD, I know how it feels to be at the point that you just don't give a crap anymore. After 7 years of being the one most responsible for SD, I got to this point and DSO has stepped up, but he is bad about just saying 'Do x,y.z' but never following up. SD will be 16 in 2 weeks.

It does seem that you are both targeting the skid, your DH and you. Of course, a bioparent will generally side with their kid. IDK why you are being attacked by some on here, as your first blog actually made your DH look like a big bully, but maybe I'm reading it wrong.

You and your DH need to learn to communicate and stop finger pointing at the kids and start taking responsibility for your own kids. He shouldn't be allowed to yell at your DD and you shouldn't do the same. He needs ot worry about his kid and let you worry about yours and vice versa. Until you can both be on the same page with this, things could get a lot worse.

If you don't figure out how to communicate, you will having everyone in the house resenting each other and doing things to really anger each other. It could also affect how your DD feels about you.

twoviewpoints's picture

I suppose it would have just been 'too much' to have texted your DH while you were hauled his daughter's crap into the bandroom ? "Hey, DH, Sd left her crap in my car again, I'm dumping it in the bandroom. If she needs or wants it you can come get it"

This sh*t game you're playing with DH about 'who has the best daughter' of the two girls is damaging to your marriage. SD got her consequence , but so did you. Your DH no longer believes what you say. He thought, just like a share of members here did. That you deliberately pulled a b*tch move. He's viewing you as a little CherryGirl in training.

It doesn't matter what anyone here thinks as to how, what, why nor "did I go too far", but what does matter is what your DH thinks. You've lost his trust in your word.

I tend to believe you're a poster who likes to spin tales for reactions and uh, "shake things up" , but it really doesn't matter as you'd get the same advice from me regardless. You've four unhappy people in your household. Time to fix it or let it go. Five more years of this tit for tat crap? Seriously?

TwoOfUs's picture

But she wasn't intending on leaving it there or making DH come and get it...so why would she text him that? If I were him, I would just respond with something like: "Huh? Aren't you coming back here after you're done? Bring it back and I'll make her take it out of your car."

I suppose it would have just been 'too much' for SD to be responsible for her things...or for DH to notice that she wasn't taking her things in when they got home and make her go back to get her backpack.

TwelveLongYrs79's picture

This has officially turned into BackPackGate.
It's been analyzed more than the Zapruder film... Wink

classyNJ's picture

Oh man you read my mind. Can't imagine not being as perfect as **cough cough** some of these posters. Especially the ones that feel the need to point out again that they can't believe that a woman would allow a man to do things for her even though she can do them herself! ~~Shame on us!~~

~~ - sarcasm

notasm3's picture

Why chastise the OP for not calling others to go back and retrieve the stepchild's backpack? Why can't the skid's father go take care of this?

Acratopotes's picture

pffft who cares - SD and DH knows she should take her stuff out of your car, she did not... consequences....

SO always have to tell Aergia take you stuff from my car, she ignores him flat.... now he started dumping her stuff in the yard before he leaves.... he says, he told her and she's ignoring him..... I told him and she still does not care cause you just buy new stuff..... now he refuses to buy new stuff...

If I find her make up in the car, I simply keep quiet and I trash it, hide it under other trash.... she will ask if we have seen it, SO replies didn't you take it out....

I will never tell them I trashed it cause it will start war.... you simply should've kept quiet, pretended to forget about it..... say the car was empty lol

Lemonygirl's picture

She knew what she was doing when she did it. She was irritated with AS when she did it and she didn't care if SD got it back.

You do the right thing because you love your husband. If you can't do that then you are hurting people including yourself and your own child.